Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fees paid by local authority commissioners to private care home providers in each area of the country; and whether the fees paid are sufficient to cover the costs of care provision.

Local authorities have the autonomy and flexibility to determine the fee rates they pay care providers. Their decision on appropriate rates of care is based on local market conditions. The Department continues to support local authorities with their Care Act 2014 duties to ensure that their local market remains effective and able to meet people’s care needs.

We are committed to bringing forward a plan for social care to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and to find long term solutions for one of the biggest challenges we face as a society.